Fear for Safety of Anti-nazi Intellectuals in France

Grave concern is expressed here regarding the fate of outstanding intellectuals, artists and writers in France, of whom the whereabouts of only a few are known.

Jules Romains, president of the PEN Club, has reached the United States with records of the club. Jean Giraudeaux is reported to be in Lisbon. Andre Maurois is in France. But there is no word about a host of others, many of whom, like Andre Malraux, are believed to be in danger, even from the Vichy authorities because of Spanish Republican sympathies.

Many outstanding artists, like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Derain, are believed possibly in Nazi-occupied Fence. Fears are felt here about them because of the Nazis’ violent denunciations of their “degenerate” art.

The PEN Club here is gravely concerned over 40 refugee writers formerly aided by its Paris affiliate of whom no word has been received. Commenting on reports that Lion Feuchtwanger, Franz Werfel and Alfred Doeblin were executed by the Nazi authorities in as we know, they are still alive.”